Thanks Rich. Should have figured that one out but I never studied Greek (OK, so Hoplo is Greek and phobia is Latin). I know the hoplite was the heavily armored pikeman of 600-350 B.C. Deployed in a phalanx, battles were won by the "push of the pike" and the side which pushed heavier and remained steadier prevailed. The heavy armor gave the hoplites of the Greek city states the advantage over their lightly armored Persian enemies (and others). Naturally, this was a strictly a linear battle formation not conducive to rough terrain (less the phalanx lose its cohesiveness) and this made the flanks of the phalanx vulnerable. Thus, light infantry with greater mobility, known as peltasts, were formed to protect the flanks of the phalanx. Calvary was also used in this regard. In one battle, despite the Spartan hoplites being defeated by Athenian peltasts (on the island of Pylos), all Greeks stubbornly stayed with the hoplite. While the heavier armor was later discarded by the Macedonians, it wasn't until the advent of the Roman Legion did the Greek phalanx meet its match. Enough history for today.